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• Describe the format and timing of the Critical Reading section

• Recall and implement Kaplan's strategies for reading strategically and classifying
Critical Reading question types
• Formulate a personal study calendar that includes all the necessary actions from
now until Test Day

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• Describe the format and timing of the Critical Reading section

• Recall and implement the steps for reading strategically

48 questions in 50 minutes
6 passages with 8 questions each
1 passage is experimental and does not count toward your score
Every operational question counts equally toward your score
Passages are 500–600 words (generally 4–7 paragraphs) each

Subject areas: natural sciences (50% of passages), social sciences and

humanities (the remaining 50%)

Familiarity with the subject matter is not required

Spend approximately 8 minutes per passage set:

4 minutes reading and mapping the passage
30 seconds per question

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Topic is the author’s basic subject matter.

The passages on the PCAT will be titled according to the Topic.

Telescopes: Refractors Versus Reflectors

The earliest telescopes were refractors, in that they used lenses to bend incoming light. By using
refractive lenses, early astronomers were able to gather light and view images with greater resolution
and magnification than possible with the naked eye. But because pioneer telescope makers knew
relatively little about optics, their lenses exhibited two serious defects. The first problem, spherical
aberration, is a distortion that occurs when a lens with round surfaces fails to focus light from a point
object to a point image. The second problem, chromatic aberration, stems from the fact that an ordinary
lens refracts different wavelengths of light to slightly different degrees, resulting in a different focal
length for each color and, therefore, an out-of-focus image with a colorful halo.

Keywords are structural clues that every author uses to organize and shape the text.

The best critical readers pick up on these structural clues and are thus able to anticipate
while reading.

Why does anticipating while reading using key words save you time on Test Day?

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Astronomers noted more than 150 years ago that sunspots wax and wane in
number in an 11-year cycle. Ever since, people have speculated that the solar
cycle might exert some influence on the earth’s weather. In the twentieth
century, for example, workers linked the solar cycle to droughts in the
American Midwest. Until recently, however, none of these correlations has
held up under closer scrutiny.

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1. Continuation
Continuation key words indicate that more of the same idea or argument will follow.
Examples:

2. Sequence
Sequence key words denote an order of ideas, points, or events.
Examples:

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3. Illustration
Illustration key words introduce examples that the author uses to further an argument.
Examples:

4. Evidence
Evidence key words are clues that the author is about to provide support for a point.
Examples:

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5. Contrast
Contrast key words indicate that something different is coming next or that the author is
making a shift in focus.
Examples:

6. Emphasis
Emphasis key words highlight the elements of the passage that the author finds most
important.
Examples:

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7. Conclusion
Conclusion key words signal the sum of an argument.
Examples:

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Scope is the specific aspect of the Topic on which the author focuses.
e.g., chromatic aberration problems

How does identifying Scope help you read critically?

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Practice

Genetic engineering may offer the best hope of improving yields of Oryza
sativa (cultivated rice) and perhaps, in time, other important U.S. crops. The
insertion of foreign genetic material into the DNA of cultivars appears to
confer an herbicidal protection on the resultant plants, enabling them to
compete successfully for nutrients with uncultivated grasses.

Topic:

Scope:

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Practice

Media coverage of Alzheimer’s disease, an ultimately fatal form of dementia

that primarily afflicts the elderly, generally focuses on the disease itself, the
difficulty of establishing a diagnosis, and the lack of any effective treatment.
Far less attention is paid to the tremendous physical, psychological, and
financial toll that the disease takes on family members who live with and care
for Alzheimer’s patients 24 hours a day.

Topic:

Scope:

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The passage roadmap is a diagram of the passage that notes the Scope of
each paragraph. A good map helps you find information in the passage quickly.

Sample Passage Map

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Sample Map 1. Of the following, the author is most interested in

discussing

A. how different shapes of lenses influence

resolution and magnification in telescopes.
B. why refractors have become more popular than
reflectors.
C. how two basic telescope designs alternately
succeeded each other in importance and
popularity.
D. the ways in which technological constraints
have shaped the course of science.

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Sample Map 2. The author mentions the views of Sir Isaac Newton
(paragraph 2) in order to

A. explain why scientists initially turned toward

reflecting telescopes.
B. emphasize the severity of the problem of
spherical aberration.
C. show that early scientists often reached
erroneous conclusions.
D. tacitly challenge the view that Sir Isaac
Newton was a brilliant scientist.

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Sample Map 3. According to the passage, chromatic aberration can

be corrected by

A. a lens with rounded surfaces.

B. using glass in place of metal alloys.
C. building larger telescopes for greater light
reception.
D. an arrangement of two lenses separated by
water.

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Purpose is why the author is writing and should reflect whether the overall tone
of the passage is positive, negative, or neutral.

Identifying the Purpose will help you to understand the passage as a whole.
All the details in a passage are meant to support the author’s overall Purpose.

The Purpose should start with a verb, such as explain, evaluate, argue, or
compare.

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Practice

Animal behavior was formerly thought to consist of simple responses, some

of them innate and some of them learned, to incoming stimuli. Complex
behavior, if it was considered at all, was assumed to be the result of complex
stimuli. However, a group of ethologists, notably Konrad Lorenz, Nikolaas
Tinbergen, and Karl von Frisch, established a new view of animal behavior.

Purpose:

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Practice

Astronomers and astrophysicists who believe that intelligence exists only on Earth base their claim on
an argument taken from the field of evolutionary biology. Intelligent life does not exist anywhere else in
the galaxy, they contend, because the process that culminated in the development of life on Earth was so
complex and so dependent on chance events (e.g., the extinction of the dinosaurs) that it could not have
occurred twice. What this argument fails to take into account, however, is a crucial distinction made by
evolutionary biologists: the distinction between the evolution of a specific species and the evolution of a
specific trait. According to evolutionary biologists, it is indeed extremely unlikely that a species similar
to Homo sapiens exists elsewhere; the probability of the same sequence of events occurring
under the same environmental conditions is so small that it can be discounted. However, this does not
imply that intelligent life very different in form from Homo sapiens could not have developed on other
planets.

Purpose:

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What if I don’t know what to map?

What if I’m running out of time?

What if I don’t know the meaning of a word?

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1 The harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, is a member of the order Pinnepedia and lives amphibiously Scratch Paper
along the northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This extraordinary mammal, which does most
of its fishing at night when visibility is low and noise levels are high, has developed several
unique adaptations that have sharpened its visual and acoustic acuity. The need for such
adaptations has been compounded by the varying behavior of sound and light in each of the
two habitats of the harbor seal—land and water.

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2 While the seal is on land, its ear operates much like that of a human, with sound waves
Scratch Paper
traveling through air and entering the inner ear through the auditory canal. The directions
from which sounds originate are distinguishable because the sound waves arrive at each inner
ear at different times. In water, however, where sound waves travel faster than they do in air,
the ability of the brain to differentiate arrival times between each ear is severely reduced. Yet
it is crucial for the seal to be able to pinpoint the exact origins of sound in order to locate
both its offspring and prey. Therefore, through processes of adaptation to the demands of its
environment, the seal has developed an extremely sensitive quadraphonic hearing system
composed of a specialized band of tissue that extends down from the outer ear to the inner
ear. In water, sound is conducted to the seal’s inner ear by this special band of tissue, making
it possible for the seal to identify the exact origins of sounds.

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3 The eye of the seal is also uniquely adapted to operate in both air and water. The human eye,
Scratch Paper
adapted to function primarily in air, is equipped with a cornea, which aids in the refraction
and focusing of light onto the retina. As a result, when a human eye is submerged in water,
light rays are further refracted, and the image is blurry. The seal’s cornea, however, has a
refractive index similar to that of water. Therefore, in water, light rays are transmitted by the
cornea without distortion and are clearly focused on the retina. In air, however, the cornea is
astigmatic. The result is a distortion of incoming light rays. The seal compensates for this by
having a stenopaic pupil, which constricts into a vertical slit. Since the astigmatism is most
pronounced in the horizontal plane of the eye, the vertical nature of the pupil serves to
minimize its effect on the seal’s vision.

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4 Since the harbor seal procures its food under conditions of low visibility, some scientists
Scratch Paper
hypothesize that harbor seals have an echolocation system akin to the sensory capabilities of
bats, porpoises, and dolphins. This kind of natural and instinctual radar involves the emission
of high frequency sound pulses that reflect off obstacles such as predators, prey, or natural
barriers. The reflections are received as sensory signals by the brain, which interprets them
and processes them into an image. The animal, blinded by unfavorable surroundings or
lighting conditions, is thus able to perceive its surroundings. Scientists believe that
echolocation in the harbor seal is suggested by the fact that these seals emit “clicks”(i.e., high
frequency sounds produced in short, fast bursts that occur mostly at night, when visual acuity
is low).

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Finally, there is speculation that the seal’s vibrissae, or whiskers, act as sensory receptors. Scratch Paper
Evidence for this is found in the fact that vibrissae are unusually well-developed in
Pinnepedia and are highly sensitive to movement. Scientists hypothesize that the vibrissae
may be instrumental in catching prey and, because they are sensitive to vibrations, may sense
wave disturbances produced by nearby moving fish, allowing the seal to home in on and
capture prey.

Having met the sensory demands of dual habitats, the harbor seal is one of the most
interesting animals on Earth. Its amphibious existence has demanded a sensory acuity and
flexibility matched by few other mammals.

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• Recall and implement the steps for classifying Critical Reading question types

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There are seven main question types on the PCAT:

Global, Tone, Vocab-in-Context, Detail, Evaluation, Inference, and Application.

If you understand how to approach each question type,

you can more easily and efficiently attack questions on Test Day.

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Wrong Answer Pathologies

Pathology Why It’s Wrong Why It’s Tempting

Faulty Use of Detail

Opposite

Distortion

Out of Scope

Miscalculation

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Global questions ask for the main idea, conclusion, or thesis of the passage.

Predict the answer using your Purpose sentence.

Examples of question stems:

The main purpose of the passage is to . . .

Which one of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
Which one of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
The passage can best be described as . . .

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4. The main purpose of the passage is to Stop

A. discuss how the harbor seal fishes at night.

B. explain the adaptations of the harbor seal in its Think
two habitats.
C. evaluate the effectiveness of the harbor seal’s Predict
hearing on land.
D. compare the way a harbor seal uses echolocation
on land and in water.

Passage Map

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Tone questions ask about the author attitude or bias toward something.

Check your Purpose and Scopes to see if the author is positive, negative, or neutral.

Examples of question stems:

The tone of this passage is . . .

Which phrase from the fifth paragraph reflects a negative bias?

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5. The author’s tone is one of Stop

A. astonishment that the seal has developed

capabilities to live in dual habitats. Think
B. accusation towards skeptics of the theory of
evolution.
C. ambivalence regarding the seal’s amphibious Predict
adaptations.
D. admiration of the harbor seal’s sensory acuity
and flexibility.
Passage Map

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Vocab questions ask for the meaning of a word or phrase in the context of the passage.
They are not meant to test your personal vocabulary but rather your ability to understand
words in context.

Refer back to the passage to see how the word or phrase is used. The answer is likely not
the most familiar definition.

Examples of question stems:

The word “x” as used in the passage most closely means . . .

As used in the passage, the phrase “x” (paragraph #) could best be described as . . .

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6. When the author refers to the seal’s surroundings as Stop

“unfavorable” in paragraph 4, he suggests that the
surroundings are
Think
A. dangerous.
B. unlucky.
C. impeding optimal vision. Predict
D. unsuited for echolocation.

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Detail questions ask about facts stated in the passage.

The answer to a Detail question can be found directly in the passage. Refer back to the
passage to see what was stated in order to formulate your prediction.

Examples of question stems:

According to the passage . . .

As stated in the passage . . .
Roman numeral questions

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7. According to the passage, the sensitivity of the harbor Stop

seal’s whiskers to vibrations is most likely to
Think
A. trigger fish in surrounding areas to move about.
B. improve the seal’s ability to smell nearby
predators. Predict
C. perceive wave disturbances produced by prey.
D. sense echolocation waves produced by other
seals.

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The subcategory of Scattered Detail uses words like except or not and requires identifying
the detail that is not from the passage.

More research in the passage will be required to find the answers to Scattered Detail
questions. These questions are not necessarily more difficult but can be much more time-
consuming.

Examples of question stems:

Each of the following is used as evidence in the passage except…

All of the following are true except . . .

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8. According to the passage, all of the following are Stop

true about the harbor seal’s quadraphonic hearing
system except that it
A. is composed of a specialized band of tissue. Think
B. extends from the outer ear to the inner ear.
C. is used to conduct sound in water to the seal’s
inner ear.
Predict
D. is used most on land, where sound waves travel
more slowly.

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8. According to the passage, all of the following are

true about the harbor seal’s quadraphonic hearing
system except that it
A. is composed of a specialized band of tissue.
B. extends from the outer ear to the inner ear.
C. is used to conduct sound in water to the seal’s
inner ear.
D. is used most on land, where sound waves travel
more slowly.

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Evaluation questions ask why or how the author used certain tools to build the argument.
The two sub types of Evaluation questions answer the following questions:

Function: Why did the author include a statement? What does it relate to or support?
Does it provide a fact or opinion?
Structure: How is the passage organized? What rhetorical methods did the author use?

Evaluation questions can often be answered by evaluating your map as a whole, but
sometimes you will also need to refer back to a specific paragraph.

Examples of question stems:

The author of the passage refers to/mentions x in order to . . .

In the second paragraph, the author of the passage is primarily concerned with . . .

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9. The author mentions other mammals such as bats, Stop

porpoises, and dolphins in paragraph 4 in order to

A. provide examples of other animals that use Think

echolocation.
B. substantiate the claim that seals use a stenopaic
Predict
pupil.
C. contrast the harbor seal’s “clicks” with the high-
frequency sounds of other animals.
D. support the scientific hypothesis that adaptations
are most important at night.

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Inference questions ask about information not directly stated in the passage but that
must be true as a logical consequence of what is stated.

To answer an Inference question correctly, you must make a logical connection using
information from the passage. Be careful—the correct answer will be extremely similar to
what you actually read. Only the answer that must be true based on the passage is
correct.

Examples of question stems:

It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with
which one of the following?
The passage suggests which one of the following about . . . ?
Based on the passage . . .
The passage implies that . . .

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10. Based on the passage, it can be inferred that Stop

A. bats, porpoises, and dolphins have an astigmatic

cornea. Think
B. the refractive index of a seal’s cornea differs
from that of a human’s.
C. light rays are distorted when a seal is in water. Predict
D. the seal’s retina is more effective than that of a
human’s.

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10. Based on the passage, it can be inferred that

A. bats, porpoises, and dolphins have an astigmatic

cornea.
B. the refractive index of a seal’s cornea differs
from that of a human’s.
C. light rays are distorted when a seal is in water.
D. the seal’s retina is more effective than that of a
human’s.

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Application questions ask you to apply what you’ve read to a new scenario or different
context to determine relationships.

To answer these questions, identify a detail from the passage that is either the same as or
opposite to the new information. The author would feel the same (or opposite) way about
the new information as about the stated information.

Examples of question stems:

Suppose [new information]. Based on the passage, the author would most likely . . .
Assume that [new information] is found to be true. The author would most likely respond
to this situation by . . .

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11. Suppose that the walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, also from Stop
the order Pinnepedia, is found to use its vibrissae to sense
differences in shapes while grazing along the sea floor,
thereby enabling it to detect mollusks and other organisms Think
that comprise the walrus’s diet. The author of this passage
would most likely view this information as
Predict

A. evidence against the way harbor seals use their

vibrissae for sensory receptors in water.
B. support for the theory that the walrus developed
before the harbor seal.
C. conflicting with his claim that the vibrissae in
harbor seals are unusually well-developed.
D. illustration of how other pinnepeds use vibrissae
to home in on prey.

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1 Divided power creates a built-in hurdle to making and carrying out fiscal
Passage Map
policy. The hurdle is low when the president is articulating a policy that has
broad support. It can lead to erratic shifts of policy when the president is
leading in a direction in which the public and its representatives do not want
to go. Deadlocks are rare, but can be serious. The failure to reduce the huge
structural deficit of the mid-1980s largely reflects the fact that the
president’s solution—drastic reduction of the federal role in the domestic
economy—did not command broad support. Prolonged government
shutdowns in 1995–1996 and 2013 offer additional examples.

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2 The simple notion that the president proposes and Congress disposes is
Passage Map
greatly complicated by the fragmentation of power within each branch.
Moreover, efforts to make fiscal policy more coherent have added new
power centers without consolidating old ones. Presidents have tried various
coordination mechanisms including “troika” arrangements and an almost
infinite variety of committees with varying responsibilities. The system
works tolerably well or exceedingly creakily, depending on the president’s
personal style and the personalities involved. But it encourages battling over
turf as well as substance. One wonders whether it is not time to give our
president the equivalent of a finance minister charged with functions now
diffused to our budget director, Council of Economic Advisers, and
secretary of the treasury.

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3 The fragmentation of power and responsibility is, of course, even more

Passage Map
extreme in the Congress. In addition to the central divide between
Democrats and Republicans, a number of “parties,” “caucuses,” “gangs,”
and other voting blocs have emerged, some of which tend toward
economic oversimplification and inflexible stands on the budget. The
legislative branch also has a long history of attempts to make taxing and
spending policy more coherent by adding new coordinating institutions—
appropriations committees, budget committees, a congressional budget
office—without eliminating or consolidating any old ones.

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4 Concern that the economic policy process is not working has spawned
Passage Map
proposals for drastic change that move in two quite different directions: one
toward circumscribing the discretion of elected officials by putting
economic policy on automatic pilot and the other toward making elected
officials more directly responsible to voters. The automatic-pilot approach
flows from the perspective that the decisions of elected officials cannot be
counted on to produce economic policy in the social interest, but are likely
to be biased toward excessive spending, growing deficits, special interest
tax and spending programs, and easier money. A way to overcome these
biases is to agree in advance on strict rules, such as a fixed monetary growth
path or constitutionally required budget balance. The other direction of
reform reflects the contrasting view that the diffusion of responsibility in
our government makes it too difficult for the electorate to enforce its will by
holding elected officials responsible for their policies. The potential for
deadlock would be reduced if the country moved toward a parliamentary
system, or found a way to hold political parties more strictly accountable for
proposing and carrying out legislation.

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12. The author’s primary purpose is to: Stop

A. promote the automatic-pilot approach to Think

managing fiscal policy.
B. explain the problem that division of power
poses for fiscal policy and consider solutions. Predict
C. describe divisions of power that occur within
and between the branches of U.S. government.
D. argue that divided power makes it impossible
to execute fiscal policy effectively.

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13. In paragraph 3, the author is mainly interested in: Stop

A. discussing how the diffusion of power in the Think

legislative branch affects fiscal policy.
B. advocating for the consolidation of
congressional coordinating institutions.
Predict
C. criticizing Congress for being even worse than
the presidency.
D. showing how congressional in-fighting makes
solving fiscal problems hopeless.

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14. Which of the following is a claim made in the Stop

passage but NOT supported by evidence, explanation,
or example?
Think

A. Putting the economy on automatic pilot may

circumvent the problems caused by elected
officials. Predict
B. The proposals to revamp the economic policy
process are based on very different
assumptions.
C. A president can have difficulty pushing
through a fiscal policy when there is opposition
to it.
D. There would be less deadlock if a
parliamentary system were adopted.

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14. Which of the following is a claim made in the Stop

passage but NOT supported by evidence, explanation,
or example?
Think

A. Putting the economy on automatic pilot may

circumvent the problems caused by elected
officials.
B. The proposals to revamp the economic policy
process are based on very different
assumptions.
C. A president can have difficulty pushing
through a fiscal policy when there is opposition
to it.
D. There would be less deadlock if a
parliamentary system were adopted.

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15. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the Stop
author’s argument about fiscal policy-making?
Think
A. Countries that lack coherent and efficient
procedures for determining fiscal policy also
tend to have unjust electoral systems.
B. Presidents have only been successful in
Predict
making new policies when their own party
controls Congress.
C. Members of Congress whose votes do not
reflect the will of the people are typically not
reelected.
D. Public opinion is often sharply divided with
regard to a president’s policy proposals.

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16. Suppose that during the mid-1980s, Congress sought to lessen the Stop
extent of governmental influence in the domestic economy. What
relevance would this have to the passage?
Think
A. It supports the author’s claim that presidents
are largely responsible for the system’s Predict
inefficiency.
B. It supports the author’s claim that the system
has worked tolerably well at times.
C. It weakens the author’s claim that the failure
to reduce the deficit in the 1980s was the
result of governmental deadlock.
D. It weakens the author’s claim that power is
more fragmented in the legislative branch than
in the executive branch.

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17. An advocate of the “automatic-pilot approach” to fiscal reform Stop

would probably support which of the following proposals?
Think
A. Legislating a limit on the size of the federal
budget deficit
B. Placing all power over economic policy in the
hands of an official selected by the president
C. Publicizing the voting records of those elected
officials who are involved in making fiscal
policy
D. Relying on Supreme Court rulings to determine
the constitutionality of new fiscal regulations

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17. An advocate of the “automatic-pilot approach” to fiscal reform Predict

would probably support which of the following proposals?

A. Legislating a limit on the size of the federal

budget deficit
B. Placing all power over economic policy in the
hands of an official selected by the president
C. Publicizing the voting records of those elected
officials who are involved in making fiscal
policy
D. Relying on Supreme Court rulings to determine
the constitutionality of new fiscal regulations

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18. With respect to the government, the author is: Stop

A. frustrated at the inability of the executive and Think

legislative branches to enact policy without
conflict.
B. dispassionate in analyzing the historical and
legal context for the current form of Predict
government.
C. critical of gridlock but confident that proposed
solutions could alleviate the problem.
D. satisfied that checks and balances prevent any
one branch of government from procuring too
much power.

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19. Which of the following most accurately represents the meaning Stop
of the word “command” as it is used in paragraph 1?
A. To issue a direct order Think
B. To gather through authority
C. To require for legitimacy
D. To have complete control over
Predict

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Diagnostic Exam
Your Diagnostic is critical to establishing a baseline and beginning to generate your online
recommendations. Take it as soon as possible.

Before Class
Complete the assigned PCAT Review Notes chapters and workshops prior to each session.
Digital editions of your printed course books are available from your account page.

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Class Session

Class Handouts
For each session there will be handouts that you have access to that will include notes,
slides without answers, and slides with answers.

Lessons On Demand
Watch these pre-recorded class sessions as often as you like for review. If you attend live
class sessions, these are optional assignments for after class. If you are a Self-Paced
student, these are required.

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After Class

Quizzes
Take these short quizzes after class to get test-like practice and assess your progress.
Focus more on answering correctly than on how long each question takes.

Full-Length and Section Tests

Use these timed and scored tests to mimic Test Day. Take them under test-like conditions
for the most realistic practice. Save them for later in the course to ensure you have sufficient
content and strategy mastery to provide meaningful results.

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Calendar Tips
Build in:
School and professional obligations
Time for family/friends
One day off per week
Study time
How long?
How often?
Where?
When?
Breaks

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Calendar Tips
Register for the official PCAT now so you can plan your studying around that
test date. Seats do fill up, so registering early will also ensure you can test at
the time and location of your choice.

Make a reasonable study schedule that you can commit to.

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Calendar Tips
Complete your Before Class and After Class assignments while your course is
in progress rather than saving them for the end. Alternate between reading,
workshops, and practice.

Spend just as much time reviewing a test or quiz as taking it. Read through the
explanations, noting the reasoning behind both correct and incorrect choices.

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8-9 AM
9-10 AM
10-11 AM
11-12 PM
12-1 PM
1-2 PM
2-3 PM
3-4 PM
4-5 PM
5-6 PM
6-7 PM
7-8 PM
8-9 PM
9-10 PM

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After Class: Critical Reading 1

Critical Reading Test A 50 m
Before Class: Biological Processes 1
Review Notes chapters 7-11, 21 3h 30 m
• Biological Processes Strategies
• Cellular Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Evolution
• Reproductive System
Generalized Eukaryotic Cell Workshop 45 m
Molecular Genetics Workshop 45 m

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• Describe the sections of the PCAT and their scoring systems

• Determine your goal score
• Understand the section-specific pacing
• Implement the steps of Kaplan's Computer Based Test strategies

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Section Name Time Questions Passages Topics

Writing 30 min. 1 essay ---- Discuss a solution to a given
problem
Biological Processes 45 min. 48 6-7 passages General Biology (50%), Microbiology
with 4 (20%), Human Anatomy and
questions Physiology (30%)
each
Chemical Processes 45 min. 48 6-7 passages General Chemistry (50%),
with 4 Organic Chemistry (32%),
questions Biochemistry (18%)
each
BREAK 15 min. ---- ---- ----

Critical Reading 50 min. 48 6 passages Natural Sciences, Social Sciences,

with 8 and Humanities
questions
each
Quantitative 50 min. 48 ---- Basic Math (24%), Algebra (24%),
Reasoning Probability and Statistics (19%),
Pre-calculus (19%), Calculus (14%)

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PCAT Scaled Scores and Equivalent Percentiles

Percentile Biology Reading Quantitative Chemistry Composite

≤49 ≤404 ≤399 ≤401 ≤401 ≤401

50-64 405-411 400-407 402-408 402-410 402-408

65-79 412-421 408-416 409-417 411-420 409-416

80-94 422-439 417-431 418-437 421-442 417-430

≥95 ≥440 ≥432 ≥438 ≥443 ≥431

80

Δ Diag to
Student Diagnostic FL 1 FL 2 Actual
Actual
A 371 363 372 374 3
B 401 404 421 425 24
C 362 400 414 391 29
D 380 379 411 414 34
E 322 354 374 378 56
F 364 390 421 435 71

81

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My target score is

The reason this is my target score is because

The three biggest obstacles to me achieving this score are:

I can overcome these obstacles by:

82

Pacing by Section

Biological and Chemical Processes: 2 minutes per passage, 40 seconds per question

Critical Reading: 4 minutes per passage, 30 seconds per question

Quantitative Reasoning: 60 seconds per question

83

Triaging
Get your easy points first.

Complete Every Section

Answer every question.

Every question is worth the same number of points.

84

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Marking and Skipping Strategy

Non-Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Non-Writing Hand and the Mouse

85

Scratch Work Strategy

Maximizing Area for Scratch Work

86

Scratch Work Strategy

Maximizing Area for Scratch Work

87

29